


Numb

by StellarSophie



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Abuse, Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-14
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2017-11-13 23:20:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/508841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StellarSophie/pseuds/StellarSophie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natalia's home life is anything but normal. No parents, just a motherly sister and an abusive, controlling brother. She doesn't know how much more she can take. Alfred Jones notices something is up and tries to help her before she loses it. AmeBel.</p><p>Warnings: Language, depression, abuse, violence, sexual situations and possible character death</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**** _The walls, covered with my own blood._

_His smile, this makes him so happy._

_My heart, cracked and broken from him._

_This live, I know I deserve it all._  

Natalia frowned as she put the pen down. This was the fourth depressing poem she’d written this week. Oh well. It was better than staring at the wall. There was a knock at the door and her eldest sibling, Katya, walked inside.

Natalia has lived with her two older siblings, 24 year old Katya, and 21 year old Ivan. She, being the youngest at 15, felt that it was her fault their life was like this. After all, it was _her_ whore mother who had stolen their father away from the family. 

Once Katya turned 18, all parental responsibilities were turned onto her. Natalia’s parents took off, leaving the three with the bare minimum to survive. Despite being so young, Katya was a natural caregiver, and despite all their problems, Natalia couldn't help but respect her for it. 

Katya spoke with a small smile on her lips, “Dinner will be ready soon.”

Once Katya left, probably to alert Ivan that dinner was ready, Natalia crawled out of her chair and made her way to the kitchen. Katya joined soon after and began pouring three bowls of vegetable soup. 

They waited in silence for their brother to join them. When he finally came downstairs, the girls stiffened. “I made soup for us.”

Ivan smiled, “It smells great, thank you.” The tall man took a seat at the table at took a large swig of a clear liquid. Vodka. 

Natalia looked at her older siblings. ‘ _Is this kind of family normal? Is it supposed to be like this?_ ’ No parents, just a motherly older sister. She couldn't remember the last time she’d seen her mom and dad. 

Slowly, the youngest brought the spoon to her lips. Katya was a great cook. Even if they didn't always have the freshest ingredients, she always managed to cook something good. “The soup’s good.” Natalia said apathetically. 

Even Ivan nodded in approval after he eaten a few spoonfuls. 

Katya smiled at her brother’s approval and ate her own serving. Once they were done, Ivan stood up and left without saying a word, and Natalia put the empty bowls in the sink. Once the two had cleaned up, they sat in silence for a few minutes.

Natalia broke the silence first, “Thanks for dinner. I’m going up to my room now. 

Katya waved as Natalia ran upstairs to her room and closed the door behind her. 

Why was she cursed to live in this house? With these people?

Katya didn't feel like an older sister; she was more like a mom to her. The two never spoke more than small talk, and in all honesty, Natalia didn't doubt that her sister hated her.

Ivan… He was a different story. Natalia had loved her brother since she was a kid. She used to follow him around and copy him. She wanted to be just like her big bro. 

Everything went downhill once her parents left. Her siblings grew cold towards her, and it was clear that their problems were all Natalia’s fault. 

She felt so stupid. 

It was all her fault and she knew it.

Sometimes she wished shed never been born. Her brother and sister would still be happy if her mother hadn't shown up and destroyed everything. Katya and Ivan would have a normal life with normal parents. 

She sighed, deciding that sleep might ease her thoughts. She crawled into bed after changing into her pajamas. Much to her dismay, her thoughts kept her up for a while before she fell into a deep slumber. 

“Kolkolkol…” A chant came from Natalia’s doorway. The girl didn't hear it at first. “…Kolkolkol.” 

Her eyes shot open. It was going to be one of those nights. 

Ivan quietly opened the door and snaked in. “Natalia,” he whispered, “this is because of _you._ ”

_His hands, resting tightly on my neck._

_It’s my fault; I believe it too._

_His chants, they send shivers down my spine._

_My scars, the ones on the inside are hard to heal._

_It’s over, my heart beat fades away._


	2. Chapter 2

Waking up on the hard wood floor of your bedroom isn't very fun. Sadly, Natalia is used to the torment she receives from someone who's supposed to love her. She figured she must have blacked out.

She sighed. After standing up, she walked to the bathroom to start a shower. Thankfully, she had woken up an hour before anyone else would. Katya wouldn't be forced to see her like this, and Ivan didn't need any reminders of what he did.

Natalia shed her clothes and stepped into the shower. The steaming hot water soothed her the bruise-laden skin. She wanted out of this stupid house. No one would care if she left. She hardly contributed as she couldn't get a job until the next summer. Katya might be sad if she left, but she would get over it. It would be one less mouth to feed.

She washed her light ashy blonde hair before stepping out of the shower and dried herself off. Then, she got ready as quite as she could before leaving for school. She passed Katya in the hallway, and the sisters exchanged quiet 'good morning's.

The quietness of her sister really pissed Natalia off. No one in this family spoke unless they needed to. It was quite awkward. It was like living with strangers.

~oo~

Alfred Jones, a Junior in Hetalia High School took his seat in his first class of the day: study hall. To his surprise, Natalia, a girl notorious as being weird, was already there. She appeared to be falling asleep in her chair.

The 17-year-old had heard many rumors about Natalia's family; that they had no parents and that they were all insane. Alfred knew at least part of it was true. He had been a freshman when Ivan Braginski was a senior, and the guy always gave him the creeps and bullied him.

There were also rumors Natalia herself was obsessed with sharp objects and was in love with her brother.

People at school always said, " _Don't talk to Natalia, she carries a knife on her!_ " Alfred couldn't see why these rumors followed her. She seemed perfectly normal - well, more normal than the rumors made her out to be. He assumed she was simply misunderstood and lonely. What she needed was a friend!

Being the self proclaimed hero he was, Alfred decided to go talk to her. Class didn't start for another 15 minutes and the only reason he was there so early was because he'd had a fight with his cousin and was now avoiding him.

Alfred then walked towards her and purposefully tripped over a desk, sending it crashing to the floor. Natalia sprang up, eyes full of shock and annoyance. "Sorry, I'm just clumsy! Ha ha." Alfred rubbed his neck after he picked the desk back up.

She glared at him, pissed that her rest was disturbed.

Alfred then sat down in the empty seat in front of her. "So, uh.." He got right to the point. "I noticed you looked kinda sad…" He pasued, "Is everything okay?"

Natalia looked into his ocean blue eyes. She clearly wasn't in the mood to talk, and Alfred could tell. "I'm fine." She said, resting her head back on the desk.

The boy didn't believe a word she said. "You sure? You look pretty sad to me." He was a bit nervous because of the look the girl was giving him.

She scowled, "No, I'm not sure. But I don't want to talk to _you._ " She sat up again.

"Oh." Alfred said, dejected. "I'd really like to help… I hate it when people are sad." He was growing even more curious.

Natalia shook her head. "I'd rather not." She pulled out a notebook and began to scribble on the paper.

He was about to say something else, when the warning bell rang and a bunch of students poured in. He turned to her once more, "This isn't over."

~oo~

Natalia was a bit pissed. She hated people and she hated when they talked to her. Odds are, a popular guy like Alfred Jones was just trying to pry into her life to spread more rumors about her.

 _Why's he really talking to me?_ She had to wonder. Alfred was a junior, and she was a sophomore. He'd gone to school with Ivan for a year. Natalia remembered her brother mention the annoying American's name once before. It was clear that the two guys didn't like each other.

If he was truly interested in helping her, Natalia had to wonder if he was just stupid. Surely he was well aware of the rumors that plagued her name. Why wasn't he afraid? Yes, most of them were bullshit, but a few were true.

When the bell rang, she practically ran out of class before Alfred could stop her.

Once she got to her second class, algebra, her only two 'friends' walked up to her. Lilly and Elizaveta were the only two people who paid her much attention. The two girls were best friends, and only hung out with Natalia during school. She was okay with that though. They'd likely hate her if they knew too much. Mostly, she just enjoyed listening to the girls talk about their own lives. It was a nice distraction from her own.

Before class started, they were talking about random life events. Liz was talking about some drama between her, Gilbert, and Roderich, while Lilly complained about how her older brother didn't let her go on a date.

~oo~

After school, Natalia opened the door to her family's house. Katya was doing something in the kitchen, and Ivan was likely still at work. She went up to her room to be alone.

She got into bed and closed her eyes, ' _Maybe I can take a quick nap…_ '

"Natalia?"

No answer.

"Natalia!" Someone began to shake her. "Dinner's ready."

The girl stirred before waking up to her sister's face. "Okay. Be right down." She yawned.

She followed her sister down to the kitchen. Surprisingly, Ivan was already at the table. "Hello." He said, a smile adorning his face.

"Hi." Katya returned the smile and began to ready the table. "I had to work late tonight, so I wasn't able to make a good dinner." She gestured to the canned pasta cooking on the stove.

Natalia said nothing.

~oo~

Natalia stood up from her bead and grabbed a pillow. She then walked out of her house without making too much noise and made her way to the nearest park. The girl simply couldn't deal with her family right now. And, honestly, it was all too likely that Ivan would come to her room later searching for something to hit.

Dinner had gone terribly. Long story short, it ended with Katya crying, a broken bowl of pasta, and Ivan locking himself in his room. Natalia didn't want to say it was her fault, but she knew it was. Dinner was going fine until the topic of money was brought up.

Her family's poverty was all her fault. It was her fault because she was born. Her mother, Svetlana, had stolen their father away and left them with almost nothing. Her parents sent Katya enough money for rent every month, but that was it. All other expenses fell solely on Katya and Ivan's jobs.

It was cold out, but she didn't mind. Her body had grown accustomed to the harsh temperatures. She sat down on the end of a slide and leant her head against the pillow she brought.

"Natalia?" A voice yelled, echoing through the park.

The girl stiffened as she heard her name being called. She turned and saw none other than Alfred Jones. She snarled, getting up from the slide and walking the opposite way from Alfred. He followed her. "What do you want?"

Alfred ran in front of her, placing each hand on one of shoulders. "It's cold as balls out here. What are you doing?"

She tried to pull away but his grip was too strong. "It doesn't concern you." She retorted, "And whats your excuse? You're out here too!"

"Couldn't sleep." Alfred said before he eyed her up and down a few times. "It's freezing out."

Natalia stiffened under his stare. "I'm aware. I'm used to it." She tried to pull away from him.

"Used to it? So, what, do you sleep in the park regularly?" He demanded, still not letting go of her. He noticed that she was looking down at the ground. He could have sworn Natalia looked frightened. He let go of her. "A-Are you okay?"

"I…" she paused, "I only sleep here when things get bad." Her voice was staring to break. "I don't want to sleep there tonight. It's safer here."

Alfred frowned. "Natalia…It's not safe to sleep in a park either. There could be drunks, o-or rapists out here!"

"It's not safe anywhere!" She snapped. "I'd rather take my chances out here than go back to… go back there!"

Alfred didn't speak. He took off his brown jacket and held it out to her. "Here. Have you seen what you're wearing?"

He was right. Natalia was wearing a baggy t-shirt and pajama pants. She could feel the goose-bumps forming on her arms from the cold. "Thanks." She mumbled, putting it on.

"Either you sleep at my place tonight, or I'm sleeping in the park with you." Alfred said.

Natalia narrowed her eyes, "Fine."

"Good." He took the girl's hand in his - almost without thinking - and lead her out of the park to the house he shared with his parents and cousin. Luckily, his parents were out of town.

She had to admit, she felt very nervous about going anywhere with Alfred Jones. But the idea of a warm, safe bed was too much to pass up. The walk to his house was almost silent. The warmth of his jacket made her stomach churn. ' _Is this what kindness feels like?_ ' She refused to see why Alfred, a guy who barely knew her, was being so nice.

Alfred looked down at Natalia and noticed that she was still holding his hand. He smiled at that. She also looked really pretty in the moonlight.

Alfred's home was much bigger than Natalia's. He put his index finger up to his lips to tell her to be quiet before he quietly unlocked the door and tiptoed in.

"What are you doing?" A very soft voice asked. The two turned and saw Matthew, Alfred's cousin from Canada.

Natalia's first observation was that the two looked more like twins than cousins. "Hi…"

"Matthew, Natalia. Natalia, Matthew." He introduced them. "I'm uh. Letting her sleep here tonight."

Matthew narrowed his eyes at Alfred. "Okay… Just don't wake me up. I'm going to bed."

"Promise we won't." Alfred smiled, "Also, can you maybe not tell my parents about this? They'll never trust us alone again."

"We'll see."

Alfred then dragged Natalia into his bedroom. "Are you tired? Here, you can sit down."

She nodded, "I am. I haven't been getting much sleep lately." She took off his jacket and handed it back to him before inspecting his room. It was very messy. There were clothes and empty soda cans scattered about.

"Oh, sorry about that. If I'd known you were sleeping here, I woulda made this place spotless." He sat down on the bed next to her. "So, we share the bed, or I'll take the floor. Really, either is fine."

Natalia thought for a moment. Alfred's floor looked hard and uncomfortable, and his bed was big enough for them to both sleep without touching. "As long as you keep your hands to yourself."

"I wouldn't dream of it." He raised his hands and laughed. "Just kick me if I roll over too close or something." He then grabbed a pair of sweatpants and went to change in the bathroom. When he came back, he got under the covers of the bed and gestured for Natalia to join him.

"Thanks, Alfred." She got comfortable, back facing the boy.

Alfred yawned. "Don't worry 'bout it. Any time you need to stay over, you can. Even when my parents are home. Promise." He turned off the bedside light. "G'night Natalia." In all honesty, Alfred felt really cool right now. He was closer to getting to know Natalia, and he'd just saved her from the ~dangers of the night.~ It was like he was a hero.

"Night." She replied, closing her eyes. She felt strange now that the lights were off and she could hear Alfred's breathing next to her. It all hit her: She was in bed with a guy she hardly knew. Was this _really_ safer than sleeping in a park? Probably. But what if he did something? No, Alfred wouldn't do that, she reasoned with herself.

Soon enough, Alfred heard Natalia's breathing turn deeper. He felt embarrassed and exposed having a girl in his bed. Especially a girl like Natalia who seemed to hate his very existence.

Will she even be there when he wakes up?


	3. Chapter 3

Natalia stirred in her sleep. The girl's eyes fluttered open and she observed the room she was in. It wasn't familiar, but it gave off an aura of safety.

She remembered the previous night. Alfred Jones taking her home, and the fact that this was his bed. And she was in it with him. Thats when she noticed the body pressed up against hers. _Oh._

Natalia realized that she must have wound up on his side of the bed. His arms were wrapped around her. Surprisingly, she didn't do anything about it. It actually felt comforting to wake up this way.

By the time Alfred woke up, Natalia had almost fallen asleep again. "Natalia?" he whispered, "Are you awake?"

"Mhm." She nodded. She rolled over, making him let go of her.

Alfred smiled at her. "You stay here. I'ma make you some breakfast and then you have some explaining to do!" He got out of bed and ran to the kitchen.

She sighed, wondering if it was possible to sneak out of his house to avoid the interrogation. She checked the time on Alfred's clock. It was 8am on Saturday. By now, her siblings should have figured out she was gone. Going back now would be a nightmare, so she decided she would stay out for a while longer.

~oo~

Meanwhile, Alfred was downstairs preparing breakfast. He took eggs and bacon out of the fridge when Matthew walked in.

"Hey Al, I didn't hear any moans coming from your room last night." He grinned, "care to explain?"

"N-No! It wasn't like that at all! She was just sleeping here. Promise."

Matthew laughed, "Hah, I know. I'm just playing!"

Alfred rolled his eyes and grinned. "You're such a perv."

His cousin winked in response. "Hey, are you gunna make pancakes?"

"I was hoping you could do that." Alfred pouted.

Matthew checked his watch. "Nah, I gotta head off to work. See ya." He waved as he left the house.

"Toast it is then."

~oo~

Natalia sat up and stretched. Alfred's bed was far more comfortable than her own. A few minutes later, the boy came back. "Breakfast is served!" He reached his hand out for her to take and then led her downstairs into the kitchen.

The girl's jaw dropped. There was so much food on the table. There was no way this was just for three people. "Is this what you guys eat every morning?" She grinned ravenously as Alfred led her to one of the chairs.

"Haha, no, just on weekends." He sat down as well and began pilling his plate with eggs, bacon, and toast. "So, did ya sleep good?" He asked, taking a bite of bacon.

Natalia nodded, "Yes, I did." She began to fill her own plate with considerably less food than Alfred, but more than she was used to at home.

"Thats good. I'm glad." He smiled, "So, Natalia. You have some talking to do!"

She frowned, "Fine. What do you want to know?" She figured she owed it to Alfred for being so kind.

"Well, for one, why were you walking alone outside?" Alfred asked.

' _My brother threatened me, so I left out of fear._ ' She settled on a white lie, "Well…I had a fight with my brother, and he told me to get out…"

"He just.. randomly kicked you out?" Alfred frowned at her. He felt awful. "Didnt your parents say anything?"

She shook her head. "Nyet, er, no. We do not live with them." Her voice trailed off, "It is just Katya, Ivan, and I."

Alfred noticed how the conversation seemed to be putting her in a depressive mood. He decided to postpone the questioning until later. Soon enough, the two had finished their food.

Natalia stood up. "Thank you for… for everything you've done. I think it would be best if I left now." She walked towards the door.

"Hey, wait!" Alfred stood up too, "You don't need to go yet. You can stay here for the day if you want." He knew how crazy Ivan could be. He shivered thinking about what it must be like to live with the guy.

"I'll see you later." She spoke firmly. She was pretty sure that the longer she stayed out, the angrier her brother would be.

He frowned. "At least let me walk you home."

Natalia could have sworn she saw a blush on his cheeks. "Fine, but not all the way. I don't want my brother to see you."

"All right! Lets go then." Alfred grabbed his coat and put it on, also handing one of his outgrown coats to Natalia. "You can keep this one. It's too small on me."

Natalia smiled at him, "Thank you Alfred." she put on the coat. It was a tad big, but in her mind it was a perfect fit. It was dark blue, a perfect color to go with the rest of her wardrobe. ' _Maybe Alfred really is a good guy…_ '

He led her out of the house and began the walk to her's. "If you ever need somewhere to go, just stop by. I'm usually not busy. And even if I am, you can still come in, okay?"

She nodded, although she wasn't intending on imposing on him again. She felt bad for taking advantage of his hospitality.

"Do you have a cell-phone?" He pulled out his own.

She shook her head. "No. We only have a landline."

"Damn. I was gunna say you should text me." He put his phone back in the pocket.

"Sorry." She said blankly as they reached the park, the halfway point between their homes.

He shrugged, "No big deal. I'm just used to even teenager having a cell phone." He fumbled around in his coat pocket for a few seconds before pulling out a crinkled paper and a pen. "Here, I'll write it down just in case."

"I won't need it." She lied, but stuffed the paper into her pocket anyway. Maybe his number would come in handy. She just prayed that Ivan wouldn't find it.

"Whatever you say, Nat." He smirked down at her.

"Nat? Do not call me that." She crossed her arms and pouted. She wasn't a fan of that particular nickname. It sounded… American.

He frowned, "But its cute."

"Not at all."

He kept smiling, his blue eyes twinkling. "You're really different than I thought you'd be."

She was confused. "Huh? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you know. Haven't you heard the rumors at school?"

Natalia nodded. "Most of them are false."

"Thank god. I always doubted them. I'm glad to hear it from you." Alfred chuckled.

Natalia immediately stopped walking when she spotted her house. "Stop."

Alfred did as she asked. "What? Why? Which one is your house?"

"That one." She pointed to a small white house on the left. "We cant go to clse. I don't want Ivan knowing where I was. He dislikes you."

"You don't need to tell me twice." He laughed quietly.

Natalia looked away from him, "Thank you again."

"It's no problem, dude. Natalia." He laughed again, "Can I have a hug? Only if you want."

"Fine, but only this once, you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah. Now c'mere!" The boy held out his arms for her and pulled her into a tight hug.

She hugged him back, smiling to herself. He felt so comforting. "Bye Alfred. I'll see you in study hall on Monday." She let go.

He gave her a friendly wink before walking back in the direction of his house. Natalia watched him until he disappeared down the street.

~oo~

The girl slowly slipped through the door to her house, trying not to make any noise. Natalia tiptoed into the family room and stopped dead in her tracks. Katya was curled up into a ball on the couch, sniffling and wiping her eyes with a tissue.

Natalia whispered "Where's-"

Katya just shook her head and continued with her muffled sobbing.

Natalia looked around for any signs of Ivan, and when she didn't see him, she bolted straight up to her room and shut the door behind her.

_Are they all insane? Katya cries all day and Ivan controls her and abuses me! Can't she see this isn't right? It's not right! They're all insane!_


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a few days since Natalia had slept over at his house. Today, Monday, was damp and rainy. Alfred was a bit nervous to see her again in study hall. Were things still the same between them, or had he made it weird by letting her sleep in bed with him?

The American had begun to feel differently about her. Now alongside his desire to help her, was the desire to get to know her better as well.

 _'Is this a crush?'_ He thought to himself, looking in the mirror. ' _Must be…_ ' He splashed his face with water. He had spent the majority of the time between Saturday morning and now thinking about her and her rare yet beautiful smile. It's something he wanted to see more of.

Alfred had no idea what to do. His friends would definitely make fun of him for crushing on the weird girl. Especially when there were many popular girls crushing on him.

When he realized was running late, he practically bolted out the door. He got to class right as the bell rang, and to his surprise, Natalia wasn't there. Damn, he was really looking forward to spending class together.

About halfway into class, the door opened. Alfred looked up and saw Natalia walking in. She wore a dark grey hoodie under the coat he had given her along with a dark blue skirt. Her hair was matted and soaking went and dripping.

"Do you have a pass?" The teacher asked, looking up from his newspaper.

She shook her head and made her way to her seat.

"Hey, uh." Alfred looked at her, "Do you need help?"

She raised a brow, "With what?"

He shrugged, "You're soaking wet."

"It'll dry soon." She smiled slightly.

"Just making sure." He looked at the clock. "Why're you so late?"

She folded her hands in her lap. "Overslept."

It was obviously a lie, but Alfred knew better than to call her out for it. "Oh. That sucks."

She took the coat off and folded it on her desk before laying her head down on it. "Wake me when class is over."

The American nodded, watching her as she peacefully closed her eyes. He then went to his homework. When class was over, Alfred woke the girl up. "See ya later, Nat." He called as he left the room to meet up with his friends.

"Bye." She yawned, waving a bit as she walked in the opposite direction Alfred had gone.

Alfred then watched as Natalia walked straight out the back door of the building instead of going to her class. "Weird." He mumbled, but chose not to follow her.

His friends, Arthur and Francis, walked around the corner and greeted him before they walked to the gymnasium.

~oo~

Natalia checked her watch. It was lunch time now. She sighed, resting her head against the tree she was sitting by. The rain had cleared, but everything was still damp. The sky was slightly cloudy, and she knew it would rain again soon.

Blinking, she looked through the book bag that she took everywhere and pulled out a knife. Natalia knew she'd get expelled from school if anyone found it, but did that really matter? Her grades were slipping and it was unlikely she would graduate on time anyway. Besides, it wasn't like she wanted to cut anyone with the knife. It was for her own safety.

She traced the edge of the blade with her fingertips, careful not to cut herself with it. She then stood up and faced the tree she had been sitting by. Her lips curled in anger and she threw the knife as hard as she could at the tree. As expected, it stuck into the bark.

Eventually, the tree began to look like all the people she hated. The bullies, her parents, and her brother. Each time she threw the knife, she felt some of her inner turmoil boil down. It felt good.

"Natalia?"

An all too familiar voice called just as she was about to throw the knife again. Startled, she accidentally sliced open her finger. She hissed, glaring at Alfred. "You sure have a habit of finding me."

"I saw you leave after first block. What are you doing here?" He said, concerned.

"I could ask you the same question." Her eyes narrowed as she put her bleeding finger into her mouth. The cut wasn't too bad.

Alfred frowned, "Are you hurt?"

"This? No, I'll be fine."

"You're bleeding."

"Really? I didn't notice." She sneered sarcastically. "It's not bad."

He held out his hand, "Let me see."

"Stop, its fine." She slapped his hand away before displaying her finger to him, "See? Small. It's not even bleeding anymore."

"Why are you here?" He asked for a second time.

"I didn't feel like dealing with people today." She shrugged.

Alfred sighed, "Look, I know school sucks and all, but you'll regret it later if you skip class."

"Whatever." She turned away from him.

"Lunch isn't over for a while." He said, "Let's eat here."

She nodded in agreement and watched as Alfred pulled out a large sandwich.

"Did you bring anything?"

Natalia shook her head, "No. I was too rushed this morning."

He handed half of his sandwich to her. "Here, we can share!"

"No, it's fine. I'm not very hungry anyway."

He wasn't having it. "Look, you should still eat even if you're not hungry. It's good for you."

Right as she was about to reject him again, they were cut off but the sound of her stomach growling. "Fine." She took the food.

Once they finished, Alfred convinced Natalia to go back to school with him.

They reached the school's entrance. "So… Thanks for the food."

"Don't worry about it. I always pack too much anyway." He smiled. Then, without thinking it through, Alfred said something very unexpected. "Hey Nat?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to go out to dinner sometime?" He froze, nervously watching her for a reaction.

Natalia had a very noticeable blush. "Like… a date?"

"Mhm." He nodded, "If you want."

"Uhmm…" She paused, "S-Sure." She hadn't been expected that of all things.

Alfred grinned from ear to ear. "Hell yeah!" He was so sure she would decline. "How about Saturday? We can go anywhere you want!"

"Alright." She nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

The bell rung, meaning they were both late. Waving goodbye to each other, they rushed to their classes. A bit out of character for Natalia, she was actually smiling her whole way there.


	5. Chapter 5

After school that day, Alfred practically skipped home with joy. He couldn't wait to spill all the details of the encounter with Matthew. Natalia said yes! He couldn't believe she had accepted him! What would such a beautiful girl want with him? Yeah he was popular, but there's so much more than that!

Right when he got home, he ran straight into his cousin's bedroom. "Matthew!"

"Holy shit, when did you get home?" Matthew had jumped up, nearly spilling a soda on himself when Alfred barged in.

Alfred jumped on Matthew's bed. "Mattie, guess what I did?"

"What'd you do?" He raised a brow.

Alfred grinned ear-to-ear. "I asked out a girl! And she said yes!"

"Who?"

"Natalia Arlovskaya. I think thats how you pronounce her name… She's so awesome!" He sighed like a lovesick puppy. "You remember that girl that slept over last week? Her!"

"Oh, well, congratulations?" Matthew smiled.

"Thanks! But I seriously have no clue what to do. I'm romantically challenged." He pouted and clung to one of Matthew's pillows. "Teach me how to be romantic."

"What? Why me?" Matthew chuckled, "Have you realized that I've never dated anyone? Girls don't even notice me!"

 _Maybe I should talk to Arthur and Francis instead…_ But there was a reason he didn't like talking to them about his girl problems. His two friends were happily gay for one another, and they had mentioned their fair share of Natalia rumors. Francis was, however, the self-proclaimed love-expert. It wouldn't hurt to try, right? Wrong. He remembered how the Frenchman's advice always turned to sex.

"Can you help me pick a nice restaurant?"

Matthew nodded.

"Shit, I'm so excited!"

~oo~

Natalia sighed to herself. Once she had gotten over her excitement, the doubts began to fill her mind.

What if this was some sick joke?

Did Alfred just want more rumors to be spread?

_Forget Alfred!_

_Are you crazy? He's just using you!_

_He'd never do that!_

_Who would want to date a freak like you?_

Her thoughts were cut off as there was a knock at her door. As expected, it was Katya. "Hey sis, how was school? Excited for the weekend?"

"It was fine." Natalia was a bit surprised by her sister actually taking time to speak with her. "I am excited, actually."

"Oh? Thats good." The older girl smiled, "Hey, I was thinking we could hang out tomorrow, just the two of us."

Natalia scrunched her face, "Why?" Of all times for her sister to ask this, it had to be the same night as her first date? They weren't really sisters. They barely knew each other! Yes, they shared a father, but that was it. They were like strangers. 'Sister bonding time' was foreign to the both of them.

"I was just feeling like I don't know you as well as I should…" She sighed, "I'm just always so busy…"

This was getting weird. "No." She stated bluntly as she shook her head. Katya hasn't given a shit about her in over five years, so why should she start now?

"No…?" Katya looked crushed.

Natalia felt a pang of guilt. "No." she repeated, "I have plans already."

~oo~

Alfred smiled to himself. He and Matthew had spent almost an hour deciding on some good restaurants for Natalia to choose from. After all, the location was up to her to decide. He was on a slight budget, but he figured Natalia wouldn't mind. After all, it was quite obvious that she felt guilty about him spending on her.

He was going to dress in a black polo and jeans which was relatively nice by his standards. Even better, his parents let him borrow the car!

Natalia had instructed him to come to her house to get her because Ivan was going to be at work. ' _Perfect!'_ He thought, ' _I'll get to introduce myself to her sister!_ '

He drove to Natalia house and nervously walked up to the door. He tugged on his collar before ringing the doorbell. He was so excited, he felt like his heart and stomach were going to explode!

After what felt like an hour, the door opened, and he was face to face with a woman who was slightly taller, older, and more… well endowed in the chest than Natalia was. "Oh, hey! You must be Katya. Is Natalia here?"

Before Katya had a chance to respond, Natalia had pushed passed her. Alfred grinned. She looked so cute! So beautiful! So perfect!

"Kat, this is Alfred." Natalia introduced them quickly before dragging Alfred out of the doorway and to the car.

"So, how hungry are you?" Alfred asked.

She smiled, "Starving."

"Where do you wanna eat?" He asked, "I have some suggestions."

She shrugged, "Anywhere that's tasty, I guess."

Alfred began to list off some places, "Let's see… There's Italian, Chinese, Mexican, uhh.. McDonald's…"

"What's your favorite?" She asked.

He pondered for a moment. "Vargas Pizza. I mean, you don't have to get pizza. It's just Italian."

She smiled, "That sounds great." Italian was a great choice. It was hard to go wrong when there were so many options to choose from.

~oo~

"Isn't this great?" Alfred was beaming, looking over the menu. He glanced to their waitor, "I totally forgot you worked here, Feli."

Feliciano was a kid from Alfred's grade who was never not frowning. "Well, my last name _is_ Vargas." He set down their drinks: coke for Alfred, and lemon water for Natalia.

Alfred grinned, "Must have went right over my head. Thanks so much bro."

"Anytime. Let me know when you've decided on your meals."

The American turned to his date. "Isn't that cool of him? Using the employee discount on us? He's so great."

She nodded enthusiastically, mainly happy that their bill would be much less now. "There's so many options…"

"Get whatever you want. The portions are pretty big, so there'll definitely be some leftovers." Alfred had already decided on his meal: an entire pizza.

"I think I'll get the chicken fettuccini…"

"Good choice. That stuff's the bomb." He waved for Feliciano to come back, and the two placed their orders.

Dinner went surprisingly well. The two got to know each other a lot better. Mostly, they spoke about their families. Of course, Natalia kept the most private details to herself, only mentioning how she and Ivan didn't get along and that she thought her siblings hated her. Alfred, on the other hand, had an amazing, loving family. He was an only child, but had grown up with a cousin who felt like a brother to him.

They left the restaurant with leftovers and decided to go back to Alfred's house. "So, you wanna watch a movie or something?"

"That sounds great."

When they got back to his house, he helped Natalia out of the car and noticed that Matthew's car was missing. His parents were out on their own date, too. ' _Oh, we're going to be alone… Fuck! What if she thinks I'm going to pull something?_ ' Alfred was most certainly not a pervert.

"What movie do you wanna watch?"

She shrugged, "You choose. Something interesting."

"Mattie just got this new horror movie. Does that sound good?" He wasn't sure what else to offer. He had seen every movie in the house aside from this one.

She nodded. "Sure." Natalia wasn't a huge fan of horror movies. They were usually too cheesy. Honestly, they were funnier than they were scary to her. Alfred set up the movie in the den and plopped down on the couch next to Natalia.

The movie was going very slowly. Alfred jumped a few times from fear, but Natalia was quite easily able to keep her cool. ' _This isn't scary…_ '

Suddenly, Alfred made a strange shriek as the serial killer ghost thing gruesomely slaughtered the stereotypical douchebag jock character. The American clung to Natalia's arm and starred wide-eyed at the TV. "Oh my God, this is scary!"

"Not really…" Natalia mumbled, finding Alfred's reactions far more amusing than the movie's plot.

He jumped again, "That looked painful - oh my God did that girl's next! AHHHH DID YOU SEE THAT HER HEAD JUST GOT CHOPPED OFF JESUS CHRIST."

 _'Is he being serious?'_ She couldn't help but wonder.

He screamed as another supporting character was killed, "I'M GUNNA PISS MYSELF."

Natalia rolled her eyes, "Do you want to turn this off?"

"No, no, no, it's just getting goo-OH SHIT!" He clung closer to her.

The girl smiled. This wasn't too bad, actually.

The movie's entire plot was very cliche. The ending, however, got to her a bit. The female lead's brother was actually the psychotic murder who had killed all her friends and her love interest. It ended with the girl, Jenny, stabbing her brother to death.

"That was… so good." Alfred said, "It wasn't that scary."

"Are you kidding?" She laughed, "you were clinging to me the whole time! And screaming!"

Alfred pouted, "Fine.. Maybe it was a bit scary… ha." He stood up and stretched his arms before turning off the TV.

The two sat in silence for a bit, Natalia a bit worried that Alfred was going to come onto her.

"So." Alfred broke the silence. "Can I ask what happened last week?"

"Last week?"

Alfred nodded, "Yeah, then you said your brother kicked you out. And then again when you were late and ditched second block."

"Oh… My brother, he's crazy. You went to school with him, right? you know how scary he can be."

He agreed, but pressed harder, "There's something you're not telling me. Tell me."

Alfred wasn't joking around, and Natalia could tell. "He.. threatened me during dinner. He made my sister cry because dinner wasn't good. He does stuff like that a lot. I left before it could get any worse."

"Worse?" He stiffened.

"Worse." She repeated.

"How worse?" He pressed further.

Her far darkened. "A lot." She considered telling Alfred the entire truth, but she didn't want to worry him or scare him off. "He gets violent and angry sometimes. That's all."

Alfred frowned, not liking what he heard at all. Ivan was one of those scary guys you shouldn't even lock eyes with in fear he would rip your face off. If he was scared of Ivan before, he really should be now that he was dating the guy's little sister. "Oh" That was enough talking for one night. He didn't want it to get too emotional. Natalia would talk to him more when she was ready.

An idea suddenly hit him. "I'll be right back. I have something for you." Alfred walked into his room and came back with a small box. "Here." He handed it to her.

She opened the box and gasped, "A cell phone? Why are you giving this to me? This is too expensive!"

He shrugged, "It doesn't cost us any extra money to have this phone on the contract. It's just been collecting dust. It used to be my aunt's, but she got her own contract."

"This is too much." She pushed the box in his direction. "Thank you but I couldn't possibly-"

"But I wanna talk to youuuuu!" He gave her the phone again, "It's no trouble! Im sure my parents won't care!"

"I-"

"Pleaseeeee? No ones using it! It'll just sit and keep collecting dust if you don't use it!" He put on his best puppy face, "I wanna be able to text you ad call you! You can tell me if Ivan is being a butt-face and I'll come get you, okay?"

Natalia caved, "Fine… You really don't take no for an answer, do you?"

He shook his head. "Can I text you tonight?"

"Definitely."

~oo~

The night came to a halt when they realized it was midnight. Surely, Ivan had realized she wasn't home by now. He would be pissed.

Alfred drove her up the the corner of her street so Ivan wouldn't see him. "Tonight was fun." He smiled and looked into her ice blue eyes.

Natalia met his gaze and nodded, "It really was."

Before they knew it, they were slowly leaning towards each other. Their eyes closed, and just as they were about to close the distance between them, they noticed Natalia's porch light had gone on, meaning someone was up. She jumped backwards. Surely we're too far away to be seen, right? She looked back at Alfred, but the moment was clearly over.

"I-I'd better get going." She was glad it was so dark, or else Alfred would have seen the deep red blush that had crept onto her cheeks.

"Understood." Alfred nodded, feeling as if he was in a trance from almost kissing her.

She got out of the car, waved goodbye to Alfred, and walked to her house.

Alfred waited until he saw her enter her house. When he drove away, he was still deep in shock. He couldn't believe he had almost kissed her! He was shaking with excitement.

When he got home, he locked himself in his room and paced back and forth, deciding whether it was too soon to text Natalia.

He finally sent a quick text at 2am. She was probably asleep, though.

**Alfred: hey! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

After Natalia had said goodbye to Alfred, she'd slipped inside her house, trying to be as careful as possible. The light had gone on, meaning someone was awake. She hoped it wasn't Ivan. As she tiptoed in the dark, she bumps into someone. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw it was Katya.

"How was your night?" She whispered.

Natalia couldn't help but smile, "It was really nice actually."

Before the elder could say anything else, Natalia had disappeared into her room.

Natalia was a bit wary of telling her sister too much. How could she be trusted to keep her secrets from Ivan? He couldn't find out.

She got ready for bed in silence, remembering to hide Alfred's gift to her. She turned off the device and slipped it into an old boot in her closet.

She got herself into bed and fell asleep with a smile on her face, thinking about how amazing the night had been.

~oo~

Natalia stirred in her sleep. It was early Sunday morning, and the girl _should_ still be sleeping soundly. The noise of the floorboards creaking sent her eyes shooting open. The room was dark, but she was able two shadows in the doorway. Ivan was creeping towards her bed, while Katya was frozen in place.

Oh no.

"Big sister tells me you went out last night… Is this true?" He smiled down at Natalia, his violet eyes piercing into light blue.

Natalia glared at Katya. She knew she couldn't trust her… She was glad she hadn't told her sister anything. Then again, she felt bad because Ivan likely forced it out of her. "I-"

Ivan just laughed, "Don't even try to make excuses for yourself… I can see the truth all over your face. Why do you always insist on lying to me?" He paused, sitting at the edge of Natalia's bed. "Now, why didn't you tell big brother?"

She chose her words carefully, "B-Because I didn't want to disturb you."

Ivan nodded as if he was processing her answer. Keeping his calm composure, he asked another question, "Where were you?"

She gulped, "I went to a friend's house."

"Oh? You don't have any friends."

"Elizaveta." She replied quickly. "From my math-"

Ivan sighed, "Now, now. What did I just say about lying to me? It's useless. Now tell me; where did you really go?"

"No."

He slapped her, "You know I don't like hurting you. Now, just tell me."

Natalia's shaky hand reached up to her burning cheek. "I-I won't." She looked away from her brother. Telling the truth would only mean more control and endless pain for both herself at Alfred. She couldn't let that happen.

Ivan got up and walked to the door. Natalia let out a relieved sigh. ' _Thank Go- Wait-_ ' He slammed the door shut in Katya's face and walked back to her. "Now, where were we? I know you're lying to me. You know very well what happens when you misbehave, don't you?"

The girl nodded slowly, not entirely expecting it as she was pulled out of her bed and slammed hard against the wall with Ivan's fingers around her neck.

She choked, "B-Big b-brother.." Her hand gripped his wrist, squeezing tightly - a feeble attempt at making him let go. Their eyes locked for a moment, "Please."

~oo~

_"Big brother!" A small, high pitched voice rang out, "Look what I have!" Natalia beamed, her blue eyes shining with joy as she sprinted to her big brother, "Please look!"_

_"Oh? And what do we have here?" Ivan smiled._

_Natalia grinned, "A sunflower, silly." She paused to let out a giggle, "I picked it just for you!"_

_The taller, older boy scooped up the young Natalia, "Thats a lovely flower, little sister. Just like you."_

_She grabbed his wrist with one hand, leaning forward and putting the small sunflower behind his ear. "There, now you are pretty too!"_

_Ivan laughed._

_"One day, we're getting married, right brother?" She grinned down at him._

_"Of course. Whatever you say, princess."_

~oo~

Natalia found herself on the hard floor of her bedroom. She was slumped against the wall, struggling to catch her breath. Her eyes were filled with tears, not because of the torment, but from the memory.

' _Why… why did I think of that? And why now? Of all times…_ '

It was a memory from long ago, something she thought had been repressed by years of abuse.

They used to be such a happy family…

Ivan used to love her…

She brought her legs up to her chest and rested her head on her knees. Everything had gone to shit. Natalia's eyes began to sting. She'd almost forgotten how happy their family used to be. How perfect. Back when Ivan didn't resent her, back when Katya didn't cry herself to sleep every night.

The times before her parents and their dark secrets ruined _everything._

She couldn't stop the tears. They just kept coming and coming until she found herself gasping for air once more.

~oo~

Alfred sighed. He was worried sick. After texting Natalia nearly ten times throughout the weekend, he'd gotten no reply.

' _Is she ignoring me?_ '

' _What if Ivan caught her with the phone?_ '

He felt an aching in his chest.

He wanted to sprint to her house and make sure she was safe. He was so scared for her.

When Monday finally came around, Alfred made sure to wake up super early in the hopes of catching Natalia before their study hall. He wanted - no, needed - to make sure she was okay.

He was probably overreacting, but what if something actually happened?

Alfred waited outside the classroom, and when he finally saw a head of light blonde hair adorned with a bow, he ran to it.

Natalia looked exhausted. There were dark circled under red eyes. She looked like she had not slept in days.

He examined her outfit. She was clad in her normal dark skirt, a large sweater, and a blue scarf.

"Hi." She said softly, not making eye contact.

Alfred stared at her, "Are…. are you alright? You had me worried when you didn't reply to my texts."

"Oh, I turned it off in case it made a noise. Sorry. I forgot." She faced him, but her eyes didn't focus on anything.

The American frowned, ' _She's acting so…distant._ ' "So, _are_ you alright?"

"Could be better." She grabbed his hand and led him to the classroom, "I'd like to sit down, if thats alright."

"Of course." He blushed as she grabbed his hand. Once they were seated in the back corner of the classroom, Alfred turned to her, "Tell me what happened."

Natalia bit her lip, "It's nothing unusual, just-"

"Ivan." He finished her sentence. He should have known the bastard had done something to her!

She nodded, "Yes."

"What'd the asshole do?" Alfred leaned in. "You can trust me, you know that."

"Nothing out of the ordinary. He-"

The teacher interrupted them. "Natalia, you are aware that no winter apparel is to be worn inside the classroom, correct?"

Natalia cocked a brow, "Excuse me?"

"Your scarf." The teacher replied sternly.

"I'd like to leave it on."

The man scoffed. "Alfred, could you please escort Miss. Arlovskaya to her locker? The dress code clearly states than no student can wear such distracting clothing indoors. Plus, its nearly 65 degrees out."

Natalia shot the teacher a dirty look before getting up and storming out of the room. Alfred followed quickly behind her.

"That.. jerk." Natalia mumbled as they approached her locker.

"Why are you wearing a scarf anyway?" He asked. "It matches the rest of your outfit, but it's still too hot out!"

"Because…" She didn't finish her sentence. She removed the scarf slowly and put it in her locker.

As she did so, Alfred saw the last thing he wanted to see. On her neck were blue-green bruises that were obviously from someone's hands. Even though he was fuming with rage, he said nothing, not wanting to upset Natalia further.

She turned to him, "I… Honestly don't know how I feel… but… I don't want to go back to class just yet." She grabbed ahold of his warm hand and led him to a staircase. "Can we just… sit here for a moment or two?"

He nodded slowly and sat down next to her. "So, what's been bugging you?" He tried not to stare at the marks on her skin. ' _I shouldn't force it out of her._ '

"I didn't sleep this weekend. Ivan… he…." She trailed off and yawned.

Alfred came up with an idea. "If you want, you could like, rest on me."

"Rest on you?"

"Yeah, you can like, rest your head on my shoulder. Uh, never mind actually. It was a stupi-" He was a bit surprised when he felt her lean into him. He looked down and, without thinking, he was trailing his fingers along the marks on her neck.

She stiffened.

"Ivan?" He frowned.

She nodded. "It was awful. Katya told him about our date and-" Her voice started to break, so she stopped.

"Come here." He pulled her even closer into him and held her there, rubbing circles into her back.

Alfred felt his skin boil with rage at Ivan.

How _dare_ anyone lay a finger on Natalia.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, after 2.5 years, I'm back with an update! I'm so so so sorry about this. I was suddenly hit with motivation and figured I should finish this up before I started any new stories.
> 
> Important! I re-wrote chapters 1-6. They're pretty much the same (plot-wise). I just fixed typos, minor plot-holes, and inconsistencies.
> 
> Since I haven't updated in so long, reviews at this point would mean a lot to me so I know if there's still interest in the story.

It had been a few days since Alfred had seen the bruises on Natalia. When he'd gotten home that day, Matthew had to convince the American not to go get himself killed by confronting Ivan. More interesting, however, was the fact that Matthew urged him to ask Natalia to be his official girlfriend.

"She's all you ever talk about!" he cried, "Just do it!"

"Are you kidding me?" Alfred exclaimed. "You really think she'll say yes?"

Matthew nodded, "Look bro, if she wasn't at least slightly into you, there would have been some sort of sign."

Alfred nodded, "I guess you're right…"

"I mean, she's slept in your bed, gone on a date with you, almost kissed you, _and_ slept on your shoulder. I think she's into you."

A grid spread across the teen's face. "What've I got to lose?"

He pulled out his phone.

**Alfred: Hey!**

Natalia replied a few minutes later.

**Natalia: Hi**

**Alfred: Want to hang out tomorrow after school?**

He had a plan. A great plan actually. The two of them would hang out, take a walk or something, grab a bite to eat from somewhere cheap, and he'd ask her out officially while walking her home. It was probably the least-awkward way to do this.

Natalia: Sure!

Alfred: Cool! See you tomorrow :))

Natalia: See ya :)

~oo~

She was really getting the hang of texting, Alfred thought so too. Even if they didn't message each other often, it made sense because of Ivan. She told him that she only keeps her phone on when he's at work. Even then, it's on silent.

She was looking forward to spending more time with Alfred. In fact, she was beginning to think she liked him. She'd never had a crush before. She was only basing her suspicions on what she overheard Lilli and Liz talk about during class.

' _How could someone like him love someone like you?'_

_'He's using you. This is all a joke to him!'_

_'He's going to abandon you. Just like everyone else.'_

These thoughts needed to stop! "Alfred likes me, right?" She whispered to herself. "Right." She answered.

~oo~

School was, as usual, boring. Natalia spent most of it spacing it out and daydreaming about childhood, her time with Alfred, and what life would be like without her siblings. She was trying to replace the negative thoughts with positive ones, and for the time being, it was working.

She had agreed to meet Alfred outside of the back entrance so they could walk to a local ice cream parlor. She'd been there once as a kid.

"Hey!" Alfred grinned, walking up to her.

"Hi." She smiled back. "So? Ice cream?"

He nodded, and they were on their way.

It was a perfect day for ice cream. It wasn't too cold for it, but it wasn't hot enough to melt it right away when they got outside. Alfred knew this 'date' idea was a good one.

Once they left the ice cream shop, they made their way to the park where they talked. Natalia got a mix of chocolate and vanilla while Alfred got a double scoop of the cherry, lemon, and blue raspberry mix.

They talked about random, happy things. Natalia had a sort of fascination for 'traditional' clothing, hence her long skirts, while Alfred (obviously) loved the laid back 'jeans and a t-shirt' look. Surprisingly, they both really liked rock music.

Oh, Alfred loved spending quality time with her! He was falling for her more and more.

"You were a gymnast?" Alfred gaped, "That's so cool!"

She shook her head, "Not a real gymnast. I only did it until I was 11."

"Still! That's amazing. You should try joining again next year."

"No… I'm far too out of practice." She smiled, "I'll think about it."

After a while, the two finished their ice cream. "Natalia, can I ask you something?" Alfred gulped, ' _Just stay cool._ '

"Sure." She said, looking at the sun which was now beginning to set.

"Okay, this might be.. totally weird and I'm sorry if I read this situation wrong, but…" He took a deep breath, "Would you wanna maybe… be my girlfriend?"

She nearly fell over. Her mouth fell open in shock. She wasn't expecting that at all! _'So… he does like me?' "_ I- _"_

"If not, thats totally cool. I mean, I still love being your friend. Just thought I'd ask because well, I really like you and-"

"Yes." She cut him off, "I'd love to be your…girlfriend." She smiled.

Alfred nearly jumped with joy, "Really!" He picked her up in his arms and held her there. "I'm so happy!"

"I am too." She was grinning as well.

His expression turned serious. "One more thing."

"Hm?"

"Could I kiss you?" He blushed.

Natalia's face turned just as red as his and she nodded. "Mhm."

Alfred put on hand on her cheek and leaned in. When their lips touched, it felt like magic. It was short and sweet. When Alfred finally pulled away, the two were beet red.

Natalia touched her lips. "Wow…"

Alfred nodded in agreement.

The two walked to Natalia's home in a comfortable silence. Both were still in shock over their first kiss and the fact that they were a couple now.

It felt surreal.

~oo~

Unbeknownst to the two, there was another figure in the park with them.

"Tsk, tsk." Ivan sighed, "What did I tell her about sneaking around?" He stood up off the bench and made his way home. He was going to have a talk with a certain little sister.

~oo~

Natalia went up to her room. Her siblings were still at work, so she had a while before they came back. She couldn't contain her joy. She hugged her pillow and screamed before rolling around in her bed.

A boyfriend! Wow! She never would have imagined that her, of all people, would get so lucky and date Alfred. Sure, he was slightly annoying at first, but he had proven himself to be a really amazing guy.

' _I'm not alone after all._ '

' _Someone cares!_ '

She laid in her bed, basking in the happiness until she heard the door slam shut. Instantly, the smile was erased from her face.

There was a knock at the door, and Ivan walked in.

Natalia stiffened, "Hello big brother."

"Hello sister." He was smiling and holding something behind his back.

"How was work?" She asked, nervous.

Ivan shrugged, "Fine. I suppose. No one complained and I was let out early!" He giggled, "Decided to walk through the park on my way home."

Her face fell. ' _Oh no._ '

"Do you want to know what I saw?"

She shook her head no.

"You don't?" Ivan shook his head. "We've talked about this… you lying to me."

She stayed silent.

"I think we need to have a talk."

"O-Okay." She straightened.

Ivan gestured for her to follow him downstairs. "How about we have a drink?"

~oo~

Several drinks later, Natalia was finally beginning to ease up around her brother. Vodka tasted like shit, but he kept refiling her glass and made comments when she didn't finish quickly enough.

Needless to say, she was pretty drunk.

Up until this point, Ivan had only spoken to her about school and his job. He even mentioned a few of their childhood memories. Natalia had to admit, it was a bit… nice.

"So." The conversation changed, "About today."

Natalia looked up.

"It is perfectly normal for a girl your age to experiment with boys and dating," he began, "Alfred Jones, however,… he is… scum."

' _Here we go_ '. Natalia frowned, not sure what to say. "I like him."

"Boys, they only want one thing." Ivan nodded, "You follow, da?"

Natalia nodded, "I know…"

Ivan's face then darkened, "I'll not see my little sister whoring herself out to Alfred Jones."

Her eyes went wide.

"He's bad news. The worst kind of guy." He spat.

"You- You don't know him!" She yelled, the alcohol in her system clearing getting the best of her judgment. "I'm not a whore! All we did was kiss!"

Ivan wouldn't have it. "You'll have nothing to do with him!" he barked, "You're not to see him anymore."

Natalia couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Brother…"

Ivan growled, "What? I'm being _nice_ right now. If I really wanted, I could go bash his face in right now. I wish I had done it back in high school." He frowned. "If I had known he would corrupt you like this…"

Natalia wanted to scream! She had almost been tricked into thinking this was a nice brother-sister bonding time, but all Ivan was doing was lecturing her! Sure, this was probably more 'normal' than what he usually did, but the girl wanted nothing to do with it.

Still, it was wise if she didn't talk back. Ivan could snap at any moment here.

He slurred, "I don't want you to become like your mother, Natalia."

She shook her head. "I'd never." Ivan grinned darkly, and Natalia knew it was time to leave. She stood up, "I need to go to bed. It was nice talki-"

Ivan whispered. "You look just like that whore. Hair, eyes… everything." he looked her up and down, making Natalia shiver.

A vodka bottle was thrown as she made her way out of the kitchen, just barely missing her. It shattered to a million pieces, prompting Natalia to run the rest of the way to her room.

"Kolkolkol…" Was heard from the hallway.

She quickly got under her covers and, on the brink of tears, waiting for Ivan to take his anger out on her.

He never did, and after what felt like hours, Natalia fell into a deep, alcohol-induced, sleep.


End file.
